I Love You More
by Vintage Taylor
Summary: So why did it hurt so much? Was it because just yesterday she had put her tiny pigtails up for the first time and started beating on her Bobo Doll? Was it because he had just seen her win her first junior division tournament? Where has the time gone? He was witnessing his little girl step into the full bloom of her womanhood and he wasn't ready for it.


**A/N:** Not a lot of Videl and Hercule fics out there, and I was just up late thinking about my dad. I'm getting married in October of next year and we had a conversation about it recently. I put the two and two together and just wanted to share some writing dedicated to one of my favorite ships in history and also to my father.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Gohan pretended not to notice the man across from him was on his sixth glass of wine. Nothing ever good could come from that many emptied cups. The young adult had already set himself up for failure by setting up this dinner date at a romantic restaurant. The two were surrounded by couples and candle light, gaining assumptions about their relationship by waiters.

"S-Sorry sir... This town lives under a rock and are the only people who aren't aware of who you are..." Gohan turned bright red when the Champion of the World gave him a blank stare, making him wonder if he had just insulted him. The son of Goku decided to stare at his steaming lobster instead.

 _I'd rather fight Buu ten times over than this..._

This was the greatest challenge of Gohan's life, and he wasn't even full grown yet.

Hercule Satan pretended not to notice the boy across from him was on his sixth plate of lobster. Nothing ever good could come from that much food. The aging father had already set himself up for failure by agreeing to have a dinner date in this romantic restaurant. One of the waiters had already assumed they were boyfriends.

"It's alright... It's a nice place." Hercule lied. He didn't want to be here. Gohan had stayed longer than usual after dropping Videl off just to ask him out for dinner and a _talk,_ whatever that meant.

 _I'd rather be shot by another maniac ten times over than this..._

This was the greatest challenge of Hercule's life, and he still had a long ways to go.

The two had no other words to say to one another. Gohan continued to eat his feelings while Hercule drank them away. This had to be the most uncomfortable either had been in ages. Hercule took another swig when a romantic Italian song began to play, and cleared his throat three times before speaking.

"Kid, I-"

"Iwanttomarryyourdaughter."

"...What?"

Gohan took a deep breath while matching the color of his lobster. He had to remember to thank Videl later for giving him her allowance so he could treat Mr. Satan to such a luxurious dinner. He blurted the words he'd been dying to say all night and tried once more, a little slower. With eye contact. "Mr. Satan, I want to marry your daughter."

Hercule took a deep breath as well and placed his glass down on the table. He leaned back in his chair while tapping his fingers against the finely crafted wood. At least Videl wasn't pregnant. Or was she?

"Did you get my baby pregnant!?"

Gohan held his hands in front of him for protection when Hercule had placed his upper body on the table to get closer to his face. He waved them frantically and ignored the whispers from the guests around them. "N-No! Of course not! We've been dating for awhile now and I really love her and it just feels right! I know we're young but-"

The hybrid bit his lips when Mr. Satan held up his index finger to silence him. The father then proceeded to open his wallet and place a giant stack of green paper on the table.

"Why don't we take a little walk."

Gohan gulped, knowing that it wasn't a question. It was a demand. The champion had already exited through the front door by the time Gohan had finally stood up. The awkward teen pointed at the zeni when the hostess had glared at him, and then wordlessly slipped out. Once the cold winter air had greeted his face, the boy was lucky for the warmth of his blue tuxedo.

Hercule, in a neon orange tux, had his hands in his pockets and was looking up at the stars. This was the first instance that Mr. Satan was completely silent and serious, and it scared the ever living crap out of Gohan. To make it worse, he couldn't read the expression on his face. Was he happy? Was he pissed? Was he congested?

"So, you want to marry Videl."

Gohan puffed up his chest while looking at the profile of the uncharacteristically unreadable man. The hybrid was one tough customer. He had unlocked a power that had been dormant inside him and kicked some serious pink ass. He was strong, he was smart, and he was a good man. He had to make Hercule Satan believe it as well.

"Yes sir I do."

Hercule nodded at the confidence in his voice, but still didn't want to look at the boy who had progressively been stealing his daughter. The Italian love song still played in the background as the champion studied the stars, noticing that this town Gohan had brought him too had much more visible and brighter one than back home in Satan City.

"Does she know?"

"No sir."

The half Saiyan listened to Mr. Satan sniff twice while removing a hidden necklace from his nape. When he finally faced Gohan, his eyes were watering. He slipped another piece of jewelry off the necklace and extended his hand towards Gohan so he could take it.

It was a ring.

"Give this to her. It belonged to her mama."

Gohan felt like crying too, but promised that he would be _the_ man all night. Right after he took the ring and placed it safely in the inside pocket of his suit's jacket, Mr. Satan had locked his head under his armpit and began giving him the hybrid a noogie.

"You already know the severe beat down you're gonna get if you break my baby's heart! You mess with the cub, you deal with Papa Bear!"

Gohan laughed, knowing that Mr. Satan had been messing with him all night with that tough guy persona. The two had gotten so close after the defeat of Buu out of respect for Videl. The hybrid knew that Hercule respected and really liked him, and now the hardest part of Gohan's greatest challenge was now over...

...While Hercule's had just begun.

* * *

The afro-haired man was slumped in his leather chair in front of the fire place, wondering why in the world he needed fifty bedrooms when it was just him and his daughter who lived in this quiet mansion.

Soon, it would just be him.

Hercule looked at the picture he had been holding in his left hand while his right hand finally dropped the alcohol he'd been lightly sipping all night. The flicker of the flames had illuminated the face of his wife. She was holding onto a dark haired baby girl with one hand and flashing a peace sign at the camera man with the other.

"Oh, Mig... I'm about to lose her, too."

There was a sudden aching in the champion's chest that he hadn't felt in years. This type of pain he felt was like the hole in his gum when a tooth falls out after a tough match. He can chew, he can eat, he still had plenty of other teeth, but his tongue kept going back to that empty place where all the nerves were still a little raw.

Videl wasn't dying, she wasn't in pain, she wasn't traveling across the world and leaving Hercule forever. So why did it hurt so damn much?

Was it because just yesterday she had put her tiny pigtails up for the first time and started beating on her Bobo Doll? Was it because he had just seen her win her first junior division tournament? Where has the time gone? He was witnessing his little girl step into the full bloom of her womanhood and he wasn't ready for it.

"Dad? How was dinner?"

Hercule dropped the photo of his only family to the floor, thankful that the rug was so plush and the frame wasn't broken. His daughter had entered the living room, wearing matching pajama top and bottom that had little karate men on them and rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, pshh!" Hercule chuckled loudly, his mouth opening wider than it had ever been after drying his tears. "That ol' crazy Gohan took me to one of them fancy restaurants. Some of the patrons thought we were dating."

Videl roll her eyes but wore a sleepy smile. She sat in the matching chair adjacent to her dad and looked at the fire had started. "What did you guys even talk about? The different sizes of butts both of you have kicked?"

"What else is there to discuss!?"

The two laughed, one always being louder than the other. Videl rested her shoulder against the back of the comfy chair and yawned. She woke up because she thought she had heard her father crying, but must have been mistaken. Her tired eyes scanned the floor beneath them until they settled on the black and white photo. Her thin dark brows became furrowed, knowing he only brought that picture out when he was going through a personal problem.

"Alright, spill it. What really happened?"

"Nothing!" He avoided her accusing eyes that matched the color of his. "Can't a grown fella just sit by the fire, drink some wine, and look at a photo of a pretty lady!?"

"Nope. Not in your case. History has proven that time and time again."

Hercule closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to ruin Gohan's surprise but really wanting his daughter to stop looking at him like that. He had to be smart about how he worded this. "Videl, let's just say I was remembering the day I asked for your mama's hand in marriage. Then, I thought about you and what would happen the day that some magical powered doofus asked me for yours."

"Uh...huh. Continue."

"Right, so, I got to thinking about it too hard and it made this ol' softy a little heartbroken. When that day comes, I know it's going to be a goodbye between us. You're going to grow wings and fly far, far away from the nest..." Hercule contemplated taking another teensy sip of alcohol, but knew it would be a bad idea during this moment. "Just like when I took your mama away from her dad. They never spoke again and it was all my fault."

Videl smiled at her dad sadly. It sucked knowing he was hurting a little extra tonight from memories and not a fight. Fight pain was temporary, but memories lasted forever. "You won't ever have to worry about that, Dad. You know why?"

With misty eyes and lumpy throat, Hercule looked away from the flames and at his pride and joy. "Why?"

"I would never be with someone who would ruin the bond we have, and there is nothing in this whole world that can destroy it. I'm always going to be your little girl, Dad. Always. No matter how embarrassing you can be, I love you with all my heart and you're always going to be in my heart and part of my journey. Got it?"

A single tear rolled down the father's cheek as he looked at his beautiful daughter. She was right. Gohan was the half that made her whole. He had the heart of a man's man and truly loved Videl.

But just between the two of them, he wasn't good enough for her.

Nobody was, nobody ever could be.

He would let her go and watch her fall when she was learning how to walk as a toddler. Now as a grown woman, he would need to let her go and watch her walk towards a new life.

Hercule must have taken too long to respond. Videl had passed out on the chair, but with the happiest and sincerest expression that the wild spitfire could manage. For the first time since she was eight, Hercule picked her up as quietly and gently as he could and carried her to her room. He tucked her into her bed and took one last look at her before deciding it was time for him to sleep as well.

"I love you."

As he began walking down the hall, he heard a quiet response.

"I love you more."


End file.
